Ryan
20th Jul 2007, 05:30 AM
Ok, earlier I mentioned that I was going to be competing in my first Kart race since I was 15 (I'm now 20). So it is, and this may be a long thread because it was a big day.
In practice the Kart felt very smooth and was almost effortless to drive compared to the Kart that I used to race. Of all the people out there I could tell I was quick but I felt there were a few people who quicker than me, there were about 30 people in total and after qualifying the field was split into 2 groups the quick half and the slower half would compete in seperate races.
Following qualifying I was stunned to learn that I had turned the fastest time of all and would start from pole position in the fast group. There would be 2 seperate races. The qualifying determined the starting grid for the 10 lap pre-final, and the finishing order of the pre-final determined the starting order for 22 lap feature.
I was able to get a good jump on the field at the start of the pre-final and hold the into turn 1. I lead comfortably for the first couple of laps, there was a guy right behind me that I couldn't shake, but he wasn't quite fast enough to try a passing manouver. But on about lap 3 or 4 I slide wide at the notoriously difficult turn 8 and ran up over the kurb and into the grass losing the lead, but it could have been much worse I was fully out of control when I went of and it was only pure luck or the grace of god that I came back on. I didn't give up and pushed hard for the remainder of the race, but just as he wasn't quite fast enough to pass me I just wasn't fast enough to pass him. I began thinking I would have to settle for 2nd, when of all things, on the 3rd to last corner (turn 9) of the last lap his right rear wheel fell off.:eek: I took the win but I was more stunned and surprised than anything.
So I would start the feature race in pole position, but then things really took a turn, due to various circumstances (that I won't get into:mad:) I was unable to use the kart I had been using all day, it wasn't mine, it was borrowed. Ahhh sh*t I would be starting the biggest race of my life in a kart I had no experience in.
On the formation lap before the final I could tell the Kart is was in was much twitchier than the one I had been using. I got off the line well again and I lead out of turn 1, but going into turn 8 I commited the mistake f pushing too hard on cold tires. I was off, and this time I spun. A number of karts went by and one slammed my left sidepod, luckily no damage was done to the frame or steering, and the hit knocked me back onto the track facing the right direction. I had dropped to 5th, but at turn 9 3rd and 4th came together and I was able to jump back into 3rd. Over the next 2 laps I caught and passed the driver in 2nd. But the leader, a well known Karter in Ontario having won many championship's, Matt Stovold, had already pulled out a lead that seemed insurmountable. But low and behold I began catching him quickly, he was faster in the corners, but I was much faster out of the corners and down the main straight. By lap 6 or 7 I had caught him and made a move for the lead into turn 1 and held it to take the lead. While all this had gone on the track owners son, and one of Canada's top Karters, Frankie Launi was moving his way up through the field. He had had several spins in the pre-final and started near the back. By the time I took the lead he was up to 3rd and was very close to myself and Stovold. On lap 8 or 9 we came up to lap some back markers and the 3 of us were now nose to tail.
I went to the inside on turn 8 to go past the slower kart and to defend the inside line of the corner. Suddenly the back marker slids and spins he collected both Stovold and Launi, but me being on the inside missed it completely. Both of them were about 5 or 6 seconds back, which in Karting is alot, and I backed off abit and made sure to kept my ill-handling kart on the track, and was cautious in passing back markers. Stovold wasn't able to keep up with Launi, who began catching me. With about 5 laps to go Launi, a more experience karter with thousands of laps of practice at this track, was right behind me and I went into full defence mode. He was quicker almost everywhere except for on the main straight which prevented him from having a go into turn 1. I'm told everyone watching was cheering for me (the underdog I guess).
On the final lap as we came out of turn 5 and went down the short, curving, back straight he pulled alongside and then slightly ahead in turn 6 as he had the inside line through this flat out corner, but I had the inside for the also flat out turn 7 and retook the lead I went defencive into turn 8, but this allowed Launi an opportunity to pass at turn 9, which would have been all she wrote because turns 10 and 11 (the final 2 turns on the track) are inpossible to pass at. I predicted that Launi was going to try seize on my being out of position and go down the inside at turn 9, so I chopped down to the inside as quickly as possible to cut off his passing route. People told me that Launi had already comitted to going down the inside and only just was able to get out of it and prevent a collision. So I held the lead through turns 9, 10, and 11 and took the checkered flag in my first race in 5 years.
On the cool down lap Launi motioned for me to take a victory lap, so instead of heading to the pits like everyone else I drove around to the starters stand and he gave the checkered flag and I did a lap holding it aloft.
Yes, yes, that was a good day.:)
Here are some pics, I'm in the red suit with black helmet and blue gloves (one is a track map I got from the club website):
Ok, My pics are too big, but I'll make them smaller sometime soon.
In practice the Kart felt very smooth and was almost effortless to drive compared to the Kart that I used to race. Of all the people out there I could tell I was quick but I felt there were a few people who quicker than me, there were about 30 people in total and after qualifying the field was split into 2 groups the quick half and the slower half would compete in seperate races.
Following qualifying I was stunned to learn that I had turned the fastest time of all and would start from pole position in the fast group. There would be 2 seperate races. The qualifying determined the starting grid for the 10 lap pre-final, and the finishing order of the pre-final determined the starting order for 22 lap feature.
I was able to get a good jump on the field at the start of the pre-final and hold the into turn 1. I lead comfortably for the first couple of laps, there was a guy right behind me that I couldn't shake, but he wasn't quite fast enough to try a passing manouver. But on about lap 3 or 4 I slide wide at the notoriously difficult turn 8 and ran up over the kurb and into the grass losing the lead, but it could have been much worse I was fully out of control when I went of and it was only pure luck or the grace of god that I came back on. I didn't give up and pushed hard for the remainder of the race, but just as he wasn't quite fast enough to pass me I just wasn't fast enough to pass him. I began thinking I would have to settle for 2nd, when of all things, on the 3rd to last corner (turn 9) of the last lap his right rear wheel fell off.:eek: I took the win but I was more stunned and surprised than anything.
So I would start the feature race in pole position, but then things really took a turn, due to various circumstances (that I won't get into:mad:) I was unable to use the kart I had been using all day, it wasn't mine, it was borrowed. Ahhh sh*t I would be starting the biggest race of my life in a kart I had no experience in.
On the formation lap before the final I could tell the Kart is was in was much twitchier than the one I had been using. I got off the line well again and I lead out of turn 1, but going into turn 8 I commited the mistake f pushing too hard on cold tires. I was off, and this time I spun. A number of karts went by and one slammed my left sidepod, luckily no damage was done to the frame or steering, and the hit knocked me back onto the track facing the right direction. I had dropped to 5th, but at turn 9 3rd and 4th came together and I was able to jump back into 3rd. Over the next 2 laps I caught and passed the driver in 2nd. But the leader, a well known Karter in Ontario having won many championship's, Matt Stovold, had already pulled out a lead that seemed insurmountable. But low and behold I began catching him quickly, he was faster in the corners, but I was much faster out of the corners and down the main straight. By lap 6 or 7 I had caught him and made a move for the lead into turn 1 and held it to take the lead. While all this had gone on the track owners son, and one of Canada's top Karters, Frankie Launi was moving his way up through the field. He had had several spins in the pre-final and started near the back. By the time I took the lead he was up to 3rd and was very close to myself and Stovold. On lap 8 or 9 we came up to lap some back markers and the 3 of us were now nose to tail.
I went to the inside on turn 8 to go past the slower kart and to defend the inside line of the corner. Suddenly the back marker slids and spins he collected both Stovold and Launi, but me being on the inside missed it completely. Both of them were about 5 or 6 seconds back, which in Karting is alot, and I backed off abit and made sure to kept my ill-handling kart on the track, and was cautious in passing back markers. Stovold wasn't able to keep up with Launi, who began catching me. With about 5 laps to go Launi, a more experience karter with thousands of laps of practice at this track, was right behind me and I went into full defence mode. He was quicker almost everywhere except for on the main straight which prevented him from having a go into turn 1. I'm told everyone watching was cheering for me (the underdog I guess).
On the final lap as we came out of turn 5 and went down the short, curving, back straight he pulled alongside and then slightly ahead in turn 6 as he had the inside line through this flat out corner, but I had the inside for the also flat out turn 7 and retook the lead I went defencive into turn 8, but this allowed Launi an opportunity to pass at turn 9, which would have been all she wrote because turns 10 and 11 (the final 2 turns on the track) are inpossible to pass at. I predicted that Launi was going to try seize on my being out of position and go down the inside at turn 9, so I chopped down to the inside as quickly as possible to cut off his passing route. People told me that Launi had already comitted to going down the inside and only just was able to get out of it and prevent a collision. So I held the lead through turns 9, 10, and 11 and took the checkered flag in my first race in 5 years.
On the cool down lap Launi motioned for me to take a victory lap, so instead of heading to the pits like everyone else I drove around to the starters stand and he gave the checkered flag and I did a lap holding it aloft.
Yes, yes, that was a good day.:)
Here are some pics, I'm in the red suit with black helmet and blue gloves (one is a track map I got from the club website):
Ok, My pics are too big, but I'll make them smaller sometime soon.